Chassis for electrical apparatus



M. F LAHERTY CHASSIS FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Filed May 30, 1930Inventor: Mar-k Flaher His Attorney,

Oct. 25, 1932,

Patent ed Oct. 25, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MARK FLAHERTY, OFHADDON HEIGHTS, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, ACORPORATION: OF NEW YORK CHASSIS FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Applicationmed m 80,

The present invention relates to a chassis or carrying means for groupsof associated electrical apparatus, and has for its objject to providean improved chassis wh ch 1s particularly adapted for use with rad1orecelvers and the like to provide a flexible, vibrationabsorbin'gmounting for the associated apparatus and electric discharge devices ortubes thereof, which is particularly adapted for mounting between two ofthe walls of a cabi- .net or enclosure without the use of a supportingshelf, and which is simple and relatively inexpensive in constructionand easily mounted.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scopewill be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a rear View, in

perspective, of an apparatus cabinet provided with radio receivingapparatus mounted between the walls thereof, on a chassis or mountingmeans embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is an exploded view inperspective and partly in section on the same scale, showing a detail ofone end of the chassis structure of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 5 and 6 are electric discharge devices mountedin sockets 7 and representing a plurality of receiving tubes certain ofwhich are provided with shields 8 and associated tuning and connectingapparatus represented at 9, 10 and 11, respectively. Tubes 5 and 6 andapparatus 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, while typical of radio receivingapparatus, with which by way of example it is intended to illustrate anddescribe the invention, may be taken to represent any group ofassociated apparatus requiring or best suited for mounting upon a commonbase or chassis.

Heretofore, it has been a common practice to mount such apparatus on achassis adapted in turn to be mounted on a suitable shelf in a cabinet.In accordance with the invention, the apparatus, such as that abovedescribed, is mounted upon a chassis 12 which in itself provides theshelf and sole mounting means for theapparatus and is adapted to 1930.Serial No. 457,590.

extend between spaced walls 13 of a suitable cabinet or other enclosureand to be supported by two simple cleats or ledges 14: which may besecured to or be integral with the walls. As further details of thecabinet do not concern the invention, for the sake of clearness, thesame are not shown.

The chassis provides a flat mounting plate arranged to lie in ahorizontal position, as indicated, to carry apparatus above and below itand is rendered rigid and self-supporting by deep side flanges 15, whichare preferably integral with it and extend substantially throughout itslength on either side. In the present example the side flanges extendalong the front and rear edges'of the chassis as-indicated and arepreferably of such width or depth that they extend below the apparatusbeneath the chassis and have flat bottom edges 16 to provide suitablemeans for supporting the chassis in a raised position to protect saidapparatus when the chassis is dismounted from the cabinet.

The length of the chassis is substantially equal to the space ordistance between the walls by which it is to be supported whereby itsend may overlap and rest upon narrow cleats or supports 14. In standardreceiver construction involving a cabinet the distance between thecabinet walls is made to conform with the desiredlength of the chassisto provide the above arrangement.

The chassis does not rest directly upon the cleats or supports 14, butis separated from them and the cabinet walls and is insulated againstvibration which may be present in the cabinet and the walls, by aresilient cushioned mounting means including blocks or cushions 17 ofrubber or other suitable vibration absorbing material, mounted on theend of the chassis and carried in spaced relation to each other bysuitable supporting or end frames 18.

The frames 18 rest directly upon the supports 14 and are secured theretoby suitable means suchas 19, two for each frame, which pass throughholes 19 in the frame and the supports and which are provided withsuitable locking plates 20 and clamping nuts 21 below the supports.

The frames are preferably simple metal channel members, U-shaped incross section, with the flanges or webs arranged to provide upper andlower confining walls 22 for the mounting blocks which are forcedbetween them and frictionally held. One of the flanges or webs is cut toprovide stops 23 which are bent toward the other flange or web asindicated in Fig. 2. The web ends or stops form walls for open pockets,such as that indicated at 24, at the ends of the frame and stops orspacing means for the mounting blocks to hold them from lateral ortransverse movement in the frame.

Bolt holes 19 in the frames are located adjacent to the web ends orwalls 23, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the bolt heads may engage themalong a flat side of the bolt head of prevent them from turning whentightening nuts 21.

ln the present example, the blocks are held flush with the ends of theframes and are four in number, two for each end of the chassis as apreferred arrangement, although it should be understood that a greateror lesser number may be employed.

The ends of the chassis are forked as indicated in Fig. 2 to providespaced projecting flat tongues 25 which are gripped by the mountingblocks 17 in suitable slots 26 provi ded in the exposed faces of thelatter. The tongues in the present example are integral with and extendlongitudinally from the fiat mounting plate of the chassis. They arereinforced against bending under load, by suitable narrow side webs orflanges 27 which are in continuation of and integral with the main sideflanges 15 of the chassis.

The resilient mounting blocks are soft and very flexible but when placedin the metal frames they are preloaded or compressed to smallerdimensions since they are larger than the channels or pockets in theframes into which they are forced. The preloading takes placeprincipally in a vertical direction between the upper and the lowerflanges or walls of the channel frames and is sufficient to prevent theslots 26 from opening above the supporting tongues 25 when the weight ofthe chassis is applied. It tends to steady and to hold the chassis inplace against extreme movement in a vertical direction if the cabinet isupset.

The blocks are further prevented from movement, endwise and laterally inthe frames, by the webs of the frames and by the stops 23, respectively,which support the unexposed faces of the blocks in these directions.

The slots 26 in the mounting blocks cover in the supported faces of themountin blocks, for taking the side or transverse and endwise orlongitudinal thrustof the chassis, backed up by the stop walls 23 andthe web of the channel frames 18.

Thus the upper and lower faces, and the edges on one side and one end ofeach tongue of the frame are surrounded by and are in contact with amountin block of resilient material which is preloa ed or held incompression by the walls of a rigid frame. The walls at A on each blocktake the front to rear, lateral or side thrust of the chassis, while thewalls at B in each block take the longitudinal or end thrust of thechassis, being backed up in each direction by a supporting wall or wallsof the frame.

It will be seen that the above-described arrangement provides arelatively simple cabinet mounting for apparatus such as that shown andincludes a simple chassis adapted to be mounted between two spaced wallsof a cabinet without employing an additional shelf or base for theapparatus. Thechassis structure includes a mounting plate provided withdepending, stiffening side flanges having a depth whereby the flangesmay act as feet for supporting the chassis and apparatus.

when dismounted from the cabinet. The chassis is suspended in resilientmounting blocks compressed or preloaded between the walls of channelframes which are mounted on the ends of the chassis and adapted in turnto be mounted rigidly on supports such as cleats, between the walls of acabinet.

The chassis proper is easily constructed of flat metal plate materialwhich may be cut in one operation and then bent to the shape shown, inanother operation, while the supporting frames are easily formed ofsimple channel material.

To assemble the structure in a cabinet provided with suitable mountingcleats or supports, the resilient mounting blocks are pressed into thechannels of the supporting frames and are then. mounted together withthe frames on the end of the chassis. The chassis and frames, assembledwith the mounting blocks, are then placed on the cleats or supports andsecured thereto by the bolts 19. This arrangement permits the chassis tobe readily removed from the cabinet at any time.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A chassis structure for radio apparatus and the like including a flatmounting plate adapted to be mounted in a horizontal position andprovided with depending supporting flanges which are adapted to act assupporting feet therefor, supporting frames for the plate mounted on theends of the same, spaced resilient mounting blocks secured in the framesand provided with slots for receiving the ends of the plate whereby saidblocks provide a resilient connection between said frames and the endsof said plate, said frames having confining walls for holding themounting blocks in a compressed preloaded condition tending to firmlyclose the slots and to stiffen the resilient connection provided by theblocks.

2. Achassis structure for radio apparatus and the like adapted formounting between two spaced cabinet walls, including a pair of spacedframes rigidly mounted on said walls, an apparatus chassis suspendedfrom and between said frames, a, plurality of resilient mounting blockscarried by the frames and surrounding the ends of the chassis to providea resilient connection between said frames and said chassis, said frameshaving walls between which said mounting blocks are held in a compressedpreloaded condition to increase the firmness of the resilientconnection. v

3. In a system for mounting radio apparatus or the like within a cabinetincluding two spaced walls, a pair of supporting frames attached to saidwalls, a plate providing an apparatus base mounted at its ends in theframes, and a plurality of resilient mounting blocks mounted in saidframes and connected with the ends of the plate for separating the endsof said plate and said frames and providing a resilient connectionbetween them. i

4., In a system for mounting radio apparatus or the like within a.cabinet including two spaced walls, a plate providing an apparatus baseadapted at its ends to be supported by said walls, a pair of supportingframes attached tosaid walls, saidframes being channel members,substantially U-shaped insection, arranged to present the open side ofeach channel to the plate to receive the ends thereof, and a pluralityof resilient mounting blocks carried by the frames and provided withslots for the reception of the ends of the plate, said blocks beingcompressed or preloaded by the walls of the ceiving the endwise andlateral thrust of the chassis.

6. In a system for mounting radio apparatus or the like within a cabinetincluding two spaced walls, a pair of supporting frames attached to saidwalls, an apparatus chassis adapted to be suspended between said frames,and including a base plate having forked ends adapted to enter saidframes, and blocks of resilient material mounted on said forked ends ofthe chassis and held in a preloaded condition between the walls of theframes to provide a resilient connection between the chassis and saidframes.

7. In a system for mounting radio apparatus or thelike within a cabinetincluding two spaced walls, a pair of supporting frames supported bysaid walls, a plate providing an apparatus base mounted at its ends inthe frames, and a plurality of resilient mounting blocks mounted in saidframes and connected with the ends of the plate for separating the endsof said plate and said frames and providing a resilient connectionbetween them.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of Ma1930.

MAR FLAHERTY.

frames to provide a resilient connectionbetween the ends of the flangedplate and the frames.

5. In a system for mounting radio apparaspaced walls, a pair ofsupporting frames attached tosaid walls, a plate providing anapparatusrbase mounted, at its ends in the frames, and a plurality ofresilient mounting blocks carried by. said frames to provide a resilientconnection between said frames and the ends. of the plate, said framesbeing adapted to receive and to hold said block under a preloaded orcompressed con'ditioh U shaped in cross'section and having walls tus orthe like withina cabinet including two

